Updates on our recent advocacy efforts:
On Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, Honorable Judge Deborah P. Cashman of the Cumberland County Superior Court heard oral arguments on GPL's appeal related to upholding Portland’s Historic Preservation Ordinance and 142 Free Street. (For all the background information and related press, make sure to click the link.) Attorneys for GPL, the City of Portland, and the Portland Museum of Art presented statements and answered questions from the judge. As anticipated, no determination was provided at the time, so we wait for the judge's ruling which could be days or weeks. In the meantime, GPL staff continues collegial communication with the Portland Art Museum as we look for common ground and an acceptable path forward.
Also on March 5th, the Committee on Taxation at the State House heard public testimony for LD 435, An Act to Expand the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. This legislation would accomplish several recommendations for the successful tax credit program including eliminating the sunset provision to make the program permanent, expediting the timing of the credit, increasing the base to 30% and the cap to $1M, and expanding the credit to include certain residential projects. GPL testified in support of this legislation and submitted written comments. Read our support letter here.
US Customs House, 312 Fore Street, Portland.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) briefly posted a list on their website of federally-owned properties that could be considered for disposal. Among the properties on the list was the U.S. Custom House at 312 Fore Street in Portland. Completed in 1872 in Second Empire and Renaissance Revival styles, the Custom House is a treasure trove of maritime and railroad history, the country's history of taxing imported goods (including a dungeon!), and local Portland history. If the Custom House remains on a list for disposal, GPL will strive to work closely with any future users or buyers to assure that the historic interiors are preserved, interpreted, and publicly accessible. GPL staff recently toured this stunning building and learned more about its significance to the region.
GPL Executive Director Kate Lemos McHale and Director of Advocacy Alison Frazee have recently had engaging conversations with City Councilors to share news and updates, discuss priorities, and offer our resources. We look forward to further collaboration with all of the City Council on a variety of preservation-related topics.
We are excited to offer three walking tours for this year's Jane's Walk on Saturday, May 3. Jane's Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Submissions for walks are being accepted through March 14 and we encourage anyone with an idea for a walk to find guidance on the Jane’s Walk ME website and submit it. Stay tuned for more information and join us for custom, guided walks in Portland, Gorham, and Yarmouth on May 3rd!
Masonic Temple Theater, 415 Congress Street, Portland.
GPL staff has been out and about in Portland! We recently had the opportunity to tour the Portland Masonic at 415 Congress Street and learn more about its rich history, current preservation needs, and partnership opportunities. Built in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Portland Masonic boasts seven floors of stunning spaces including a theatre, event spaces, a Civil War museum and research library, and meeting rooms. We will continue to engage with Masonic staff to find solutions to preservation challenges at the site.
What we're thinking about:
We've been thinking a lot about how climate-driven rising water will impact Portland in the years and decades to come. We recommend a visit to the Envision Resilience Challenge display in the community gallery at the Portland Public Library. This project engaged 346 students from 13 universities to study climate-related challenges, including sustainable growth in Portland. We found some of their ideas very compelling for living with water! But we're also worried that many of our historic neighborhoods will be threatened by flooding to the point that businesses and residents will move out leading to disinvestment and ultimately loss of Portland's historic fabric. Historic corridors like Commercial Street are critical contributors to our local economy. We're thinking more about Portland's Coastal Flood Risk Map, One Climate Future, and what protections are still needed for historic resources. We are exploring ways to address the threat of rising seawater on Portland’s designated historic resources within the CFROZ, and expand our Staying Above Water property owner's guide to include the Commercial Street and Stroudwater areas.
(Photo Credit: One Climate Future- Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, 2019)
As South Portland continues to pursue the conversion of the Mahoney Middle School building to community space, which we strongly support, we are thinking proactively about adaptive reuse of school buildings in Portland. If selected for state funding, Portland may pursue consolidation of at least two of its high schools, leaving one or more of the previous school buildings vacant. In that scenario, GPL would encourage adaptive reuse for housing, community space, or other uses that support the neighborhood.
The Portland History Docent (PHD) program is a ten-week training program for new perspective volunteer guides that GPL has supported for many years. Alison Frazee (GPL's new Director of Advocacy) is a PHD student this year to learn more about the city's rich and diverse history and eleven of its historic sites. With the first class under her belt, Alison is excited to explore more of Portland!
Still weighing heavily on our minds is the uncertainty of federal funding, putting in jeopardy the ability to carry out important mission-driven work for preservation through staffing cuts, the shuttering of programs, and cutting grant funding typically accessible through the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. This situation also may impact beloved institutions in historic sites who rely on federal earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending. We are working with our partners, such as the Maine Association of Nonprofits, to monitor the situation and advocate for funding.
